Man Jailed for Shaking Daughter

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A six-month-old infant is in a hospital on a ventilator in serious condition after her 19-year-old father allegedly shook her out of frustration.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A six-month-old infant is in a hospital on a ventilator in serious condition after her 19-year-old father allegedly shook her out of frustration.

According to arrest records, Taylor Jordan Mayes, 19, of Springfield, is being held in Greene County Jail on charges of abuse or neglect of a child and first degree assault in conjunction with his daughter’s condition.

The incident occurred on Sept. 30, when a Greene County Deputy responded to Cox South Hospital. While at the hospital, it was determined that the infant suffered from bleeding in her brain and had emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. According to a probable cause statement, the deputy determined the circumstances surrounding her injury were suspicious.

The next day, on Oct. 1, Mayes was interviewed on videotape after being read his Miranda rights. During the interview, Mayes allegedly admitted to shaking the infant because he was frustrated with her crying and screaming.

In the probable cause statement, (above) Mayes stated that he was trying to get the infant to stop crying, but nothing was working. He became frustrated, he says, and shook her a few times, but “not too many.”

Mayes approximated that he shook the infant about seven or eight times. After he shook her, he noticed that the infant showed difficulty breathing, arched her back and her neck went limp. Mayes says she then appeared to be seizing.

According to the statement, Mayes also provided a written statement of the events that occurred in the incident.

Mayes is being held on a $75,000 bond and is in the Greene County Jail awaiting a court date set for Oct. 30.